Electromagnetic imaging and inversion of simple parameters in storage bins

Abstract

A method for electromagnetic imaging of containers receives uncalibrated first data corresponding to signals of a first plurality of different frequencies associated with an antenna array residing in a container having contents. The method estimates of a second data based on a computer model and simulation of signals of a second plurality of different frequencies associated with the antenna array, the second plurality of different frequencies including a subset of the first plurality of different frequencies. The method compares magnitudes, without corresponding phase comparisons, of the first and second data at each frequency of the second plurality of different frequencies. The method updates the second data based on the comparing. The method provides information about the contents within the container based on the updated second data.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 892,130, filed Aug. 27, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 870,254, filed Jul. 3, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 912,337, filed Oct. 8, 2019, which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of Invention[0002]The present disclosure is generally related to electromagnetic imaging of containers.Description of Related Art[0003]Imaging contents within a container is a powerful tool, especially when the interior of the container is difficult to access. In the case of grain bin monitoring, knowledge of the grain / air surface, once obtained, provides the volume of grain in the bin, which is of significant economic importance to anyone storing grain in bins. Once grain volume is known, existing methods may be used to calculate the weight of the contents of the bin. Grain is bought and sold by weight. One...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The invention is about a way to use electromagnetic signals to image containers with uncalibrated data. The method estimates new data based on a computer model and simulation of signals at different frequencies. Then, it compares the new data with uncalibrated data at different frequencies. Based on this comparison, the new data is updated to provide information about the contents of the container. The technical effect of this method is that it allows for better imaging of containers and their contents through the use of electromagnetic signals.

Problems solved by technology

Imaging contents within a container is a powerful tool, especially when the interior of the container is difficult to access.

The imaging / inversion algorithm requires that a computer model of the bin and antennas be constructed, though this model has inevitable errors.

These errors (called modelling errors) require the raw radio-frequency data to be calibrated before the data can be used to generate an image.

However, for some applications of inversion, known calibration targets cannot be easily introduced into the imaging region, and the ability to determine prior information may be limited.

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